Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor

Fw 200 Condor
	Fw 200 C-3/U2 "SG+KS", became F8+AB of I.Gruppe/KG 40
Role	Airliner, reconnaissance, bomber, transport aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft
Manufacturer	Focke-Wulf
First flight	27 July 1937
Primary users	Luftwaffe; Deutsche Luft Hansa; Syndicato Condor
Produced	1937 - 1944
Number built	276

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier (German for courier^[1]) to the Allies, is a German all-metal four-engined monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner. A Japanese request for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft led to military versions that saw service with the Luftwaffe as long-range reconnaissance and anti-shipping/maritime patrol bomber aircraft. The Luftwaffe also made extensive use of the Fw 200 as a transport aircraft.

It achieved success as a commerce raider until mid-1941, by which time it was being harried by long-range RAF Coastal Command aircraft and the Hurricane fighters being flown from CAM ships.^[2]

Design and development

The Fw 200 resulted from a proposal by Kurt Tank of Focke-Wulf to Dr. Rudolf Stuessel of Deutsche Luft Hansa to develop a landplane to carry passengers across the Atlantic Ocean to the US.^[3] At the time, it was an unusual concept because airlines used seaplanes on long over-water routes. To fly long distances economically, the Fw 200 was designed to cruise at an altitude of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) - as high as possible without a pressurized cabin. Existing airliners were designed to cruise at altitudes below 1,500 m (4,900 ft). The Fw 200 was briefly the world's most modern airliner, until other high-altitude airliners started operating: the Boeing 307 Stratoliner in 1940 and the Douglas DC-4 in 1942. The designation "Condor" was chosen because, like the condor bird, the Fw 200 had a very long wingspan compared to other planes of its era, to facilitate high-altitude flight.

Deutsche Luft Hansa issued a specification in June 1936 after discussions between Tank, Stüssel and Carl August von Gablenz. The plane was designed by Ludwig Mittelhuber with Wilhelm Bansemir as project director. The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, made its first flight after just over one year of development on 27 July 1937 with Tank at the controls. It was an all-metal, four-engined monoplane powered by four American 652 kW (875 hp) Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engines, and intended to carry 26 passengers in two cabins for up to 3,000 km (1,900 mi). Two further prototypes were powered by German 540 kW (720 hp) BMW 132G-1 radials.^[4]

The Japanese Navy requested a military version of the Fw 200 for search and patrol duties, so Tank designed the Fw 200 V10 with military equipment. This Fw 200 was held in Germany because war had broken out in Europe by that time. This aircraft became the basis for all later military models used by the Luftwaffe.

To adapt it for wartime service, hardpoints were added to the wings for bombs, the fuselage was strengthened and extended to create more space. Fore and aft dorsal gun positions were added, in addition to an extended-length version of the Bola ventral gondola typical of World War II German bomber aircraft; incorporating a central bomb bay (usually used for additional long-range fuel tanks), as well as heavily glazed fore and aft ventral flexible machine gun emplacements at either end. The extra weight introduced by its military equipment meant that some early Fw 200 aircraft broke up on landing, a problem that was never entirely solved. Later models were equipped with Lorenz FuG 200 Hohentwiel low UHF-band ASV radar in the nose. In 1943 a version entered service that could carry the Henschel Hs 293 guided missile,^[4] mandating fitment of the associated Funkgerät FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance gear on a Condor to steer them.

Operational history

The Fw 200 was operated by Deutsche Luft Hansa, DDL and Luft Hansa's Brazilian subsidiary Syndicato Condor.^[4] Dai Nippon KK of Japan also ordered Fw 200 airliners. These could not be delivered to Japan once the war began, so they were delivered to Deutsche Luft Hansa instead.^[4] On 14 April 1945 an Fw 200 flew Luft Hansa's last scheduled service before the end of World War II, from Barcelona to Berlin.^[4] Other airlines continued to operate the Fw 200 after the end of World War II.

The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, upgraded with extra fuel tanks and redesignated Fw 200 S-1, made several record flights. It was the first heavier-than-air craft to fly nonstop between Berlin and New York City, about 4,000 miles (6,400 km), making the flight from Berlin-Staaken to Floyd Bennett Field on 10/11 August 1938 in 24 hours and 56 minutes.^[3] The return trip on 13 August 1938 took 19 hours and 47 minutes.^[4] These flights are commemorated with a plaque in Böttcherstraße, a street in Bremen. Beginning on 28 November 1938 it flew from Berlin to Tokyo via Basra, Karachi and Hanoi.^[4]

The German Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, used a specially outfitted Condor "Grenzmark", on his two flights to Moscow in 1939, during which he negotiated and signed the "Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union", better known as the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. His aircraft bore the German civil registration of D-ACVH.^[6]

A Danish-owned Fw 200 aircraft named Dania was seized by the British at Shoreham Airport after Denmark was invaded by German forces in 1940. It was subsequently operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and was then pressed into service with the Royal Air Force. It was damaged beyond repair in 1941.

The Luftwaffe initially used the aircraft to support the Kriegsmarine, making great loops out across the North Sea and, following the fall of France, the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft was used for maritime patrols and reconnaissance, searching for Allied convoys and warships that could be reported for targeting by U-boats. The Fw 200 could also carry a 1,000-kilogram (2,200 lb) bomb load or naval mines to use against shipping, and it was claimed that from June 1940 to February 1941, they sank 331,122 tonnes (365,000 tons) of shipping despite a rather crude bombsight. The attacks were carried out at extremely low altitude in order to "bracket" the target ship with three bombs; this almost guaranteed a hit. Winston Churchill called the Fw 200 the "Scourge of the Atlantic" during the Battle of the Atlantic due to its contribution to the heavy Allied shipping losses.^[7]

Following the debut of what would become the Luftwaffe's primary seaborne maritime patrol aircraft, the rival trimotored BV 138C flying boat in March 1941; from mid-1941,^{[citation needed]} Condor crews were instructed to stop attacking shipping and avoid all combat in order to preserve numbers. In August, the first Fw 200 was shot down by a CAM ship-launched Hawker Hurricane, and the arrival of the U.S.-built Grumman Martlet, operating from the Royal Navy's new escort carriers, posed a serious threat. The six Martlets operated by the Royal Navy from the first escort carrier HMS Audacity shot down a total of seven Condors while escorting three convoys during her short career in the final months of 1941. On 14 August 1942, an Fw 200C-3 was the first German aircraft to be destroyed by USAAF pilots, after it was attacked by a Curtiss P-40C Warhawk and a Lockheed P-38F Lightning over Iceland.^[8]

The Fw 200 was also used as a transport aircraft, notably flying supplies into Stalingrad in 1942. After late-1943, the Fw 200 came to be used solely for transport. For reconnaissance, it was replaced by the Junkers Ju 290, and even some examples of the Heinkel He 177 Greif bombers serving with Kampfgeschwader 40. With the Allied advance into France, maritime reconnaissance by the Luftwaffe became impossible as the Atlantic coast bases were captured. Production ended in 1944 with a total of 276 aircraft produced.^[9]

Several damaged Fw 200s landed in Spain during the war. In the beginning, they were repaired and returned to their bases in France. After Operation Torch (the Allied invasion of French North Africa), the Spanish government interned four aircraft that arrived on Spanish territory (although their crews were still allowed to return to Germany). Since the aircraft could not be used, they were sold by Germany to Spain. One of the three flyable aircraft was then operated by the Spanish Air Force and the others used for spares. Because of damage and lack of spares, and for political reasons, they were grounded and scrapped around 1950.^{[citation needed]}

Some Condors also crashed in Portugal. Their crews were allowed to return to Germany while the British authorities were allowed to inspect the aircraft and accompanying documentation. Some crew members died in these crashes and were buried in the civilian cemetery of Moura in Alentejo Province, Portugal. The aircraft that crashed in Spain and Portugal had been based in Bordeaux-Merignac, France since 1940. Before then, the operational base of the Fw 200 squadrons had been in Denmark.^{[citation needed]}

Hitler's personal transport

At the suggestion of his personal pilot Hans Baur, Adolf Hitler specified a modified and unarmed prototype Condor, the Fw 200 V3, as his personal transport, as a replacement for his Junkers Ju 52. Originally configured as a 26-passenger Luft Hansa transport (Works No. 3099), it was reconfigured as a plush two-cabin airliner. Hitler's armchair-style seat in the cabin was equipped with a wooden table, seat-back armour plating, and a parachute in the seat cushion, with an escape hatch in the floor. In line with Hitler's aircraft preferences, it carried the markings "D-2600" and was named "Immelmann III" in honour of World War I flying ace Max Immelmann. As the war progressed it changed designation to "WL+2600" and finally "26+00"; it was destroyed at Berlin Tempelhof Airport in an Allied bombing raid on 18 July 1944. FW 200s of various types were configured as VIP transports, for the use of Hitler and his staff, and also other aircraft assigned to Heinrich Himmler, Albert Speer, Hermann Göring, and Karl Dönitz.^[10]

Allied tactics used against the Condor

Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm pilot Captain Eric Brown's plane was seriously damaged by defensive fire during an attack he made on a Condor in 1940, and he narrowly survived. After this, he studied the design of the Condor seriously for some time. He managed to work out that the forward firing machine gun positions could swivel, but could only fire in a certain arc otherwise they would hit the fuselage of their own plane. Brown worked out where the arc was, and realised this was a blind spot, if one attacked the front of the plane. He used this to successfully destroy a Condor, then informed his fellow squadron pilots who used the tactic to destroy others.^[11]

Variants

There were three variants of the aircraft: the Fw 200A, B, and C. The Model A was a purely civilian variant used by Deutsche Luft Hansa, DDL in Denmark, and Syndicato Condor in Brazil. The Fw 200B and Fw 200C models were used as long-range bombers, reconnaissance, troop and transport aircraft.

Fw 200 V1: First prototype. Converted to a Fw 200 S-1 in 1938.
Fw 200 V10: Military prototype developed for Japan, but held in Germany due to the start of WWII. Served as the basis for the C-series.
Fw 200 A-0: Pre-production batch of fourth to ninth prototypes.
Fw 200 B-1: Transportation aircraft fitted with four BMW 132Dc engines; one built.
Fw 200 B-2: Transportation aircraft fitted with four BMW 132H engines; three built.
Fw 200 C-0: Pre-production batch of 10 aircraft, structural strengthening, the first four were manufactured as unarmed transports, the remaining six were fitted with armament.
Fw 200 C-1: First military production version, BMW 132H engines, fitted with full-length Bola ventral gondola which added a narrow bomb bay to the airframe, increased defensive armament, provisions for four 250 kg (550 lb) bombs.
Fw 200 C-2: Similar to C-1, but featured a recessed underside to the rear sheet metal of each of the two outboard engine nacelles which reduced drag, where a hardpoint for a 250 kg (550 lb) bomb or a 300 L (80 US gal) capacity, standard Luftwaffe drop tank was placed.
Fw 200 C-3: Structurally strengthened, fitted with Bramo 323 R-2 radial engines.
Fw 200 C-3/Umrüst-Bausatz 1(/U1): Featured an increased defensive armament, a 15 mm MG 151 cannon in an enlarged powered forward dorsal turret similar to those used for the BV 138's bow turret position, the 20 mm MG FF replaced by a MG 151/20 cannon.
Fw 200 C-3/U2: Fitted with original, "hemispherical" dorsal turret, and had the 20 mm MG 151/20 at the front end of the ventral Bola gondola replaced with a 13 mm (0.5 in) MG 131 machine gun, which allowed space for the installation of a Lotfe 7D bombsight.
Fw 200 C-3/U3: Fitted with two additional 13 mm MG 131s.
Fw 200 C-3/U4 Fernaufklarer: Had 7.92 mm (0.31 in) MG 15 machine gun replaced by 13 mm MG 131s and carried an extra gunner.
Fw 200 C-4: Similar to C-3, but carried FuG Rostock search radar, late production aircraft used FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band ASV sea search radar.
Fw 200 C-4/U1 (Werk-Nr 137): High-speed transport aircraft, only one example built with shortened Bola gondola without bomb bay. Used to transport Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler and Karl Dönitz.^[12] Bore the Stammkennzeichen alphabetic code of GC + AE. Captured by British and used as transport by them while based at Airfield B.164 Schleswig, flown frequently by Eric Brown - later to RAE Farnborough with Air Min number 94^[13]
Fw 200 C-4/U2 (Werk-Nr 138): High-speed transport aircraft with similarly shortened Bola gondola (with no bomb bay) to earlier C-4/Umrüst-Bausatz 1 version, with accommodation for 14 passengers, only one example built.^[12]
Fw 200 C-6: Several aircraft were outfitted with an early version of the FuG 203 Kehl series missile control transmitter, to carry Henschel Hs 293 missiles and re-designated C-6.
Fw 200 C-8: Fitted with Lorenz FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band ASV sea-search radar as with some C-4 examples; some examples equipped with FuG 203b Kehl III missile control transmitter and fitted with capability to deploy Henschel Hs 293 MCLOS guidance, rocket-boosted anti-ship missiles from the pair of outer-engine nacelle hardpoints.
Fw 200 S-1: Special designation for Fw 200 V1 that was flown from Berlin to Tokyo.
MK-200: Two Fw 200C-4 re-engined with ASh-62IR engines, operated 1947 to 1950.^[14]

Operators

Civil operators

Brazil

Denmark

Det Danske Luftfartselskab

Nazi Germany

Deutsche Luft Hansa

United Kingdom

BOAC

Military operators

Nazi Germany

Luftwaffe

Soviet Union

Soviet Air Force (post-war captured)

Spain

Spanish Air Force (Interned)

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force (one aircraft interned)

Accidents and incidents

On 6 December 1938, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200S-1 (D-ACON, Brandenburg) ditched in Cavite Bay, Philippines following a loss of engine power due to a broken fuel line; all six on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. The aircraft was on a Berlin–Basra–Karachi–Hanoi–Tokyo publicity flight.^[15]
On 22 April 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200S-10 "CB+FB" of I/KG 40 (former Deutsche Luft Hansa D-ABOD Kurmark) crashed during the invasion of Norway.
On 20 July 1940, two Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C KG 40 were lost-one (F8-EH) shot down over Sunderland (Crew 3 lost/2 POW); the other lost off Northern Ireland to cause unknown (Crew 2 Killed/3 POW)^[16]
On 20 August 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+KH" of I/KG 40 crashed at Faha Ridge, Cloghane, Ireland; all six on board survived and were interned in Ireland.
On 22 October 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+OK" of I/KG 40 went missing over the Irish Sea. Possibly unknown bomber which sank the Irish Vessel "Kerry Head" in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Clear Island, County Cork, Ireland;:^[17] reportedly the bomber was brought down in explosion; no survivors from either ship or plane.^[18]

On 15 June 1941, Luftwaffe Fw 200A-0 "F8+CU" (former Luft Hansa D-ADHR) burned out at Aalborg Airport following an engine fire.
On 23 July 1941, a Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C of KG 40 was lost in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, after being shot down by a Lockheed Hudson Mark V of No. 233 Squadron RAF.^[19]
On 22 October 1942, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4/U3 "F8+EK" of 1.(F)/120 and I./KG 40 was shot down by two USAAF P-38 Lightning fighters and crashed at Kleppatagl, Iceland, killing all seven on board.
On 9 July 1943, a Luftwaffe Fw 200 of III/KG 40 was shot down by a British fighter and struck a cliff near Aljezur, Portugal, killing all seven on board.
On 18 July 1944, Adolf Hitler's personal Fw 200 V3 [26+00] was destroyed in bombing.
On 27 September 1944, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200D-2 (D-AMHL) en route to Spain was shot down by an RAF Bristol Beaufighter night-fighter of No. 415 Squadron and crashed at Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, France, killing all nine on board.^[20]
On 29 November 1944, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200A-0/S-5 (D-ARHW, Friesland) en route from Berlin to Stockholm, was accidentally shot down by a German patrol boat and crashed off Måkläppen, Sweden, killing all ten on board.^[21]
On 11 October 1944, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4 (radio code F8+ES, Werknummer 0163) of 8./KG 40 crashed at Kvanntoneset, Norway due to tail separation while flying over Lavanger fjord, killing all 21 on board.^[22]
On 21 April 1945, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200KB-1 (D-ASHH, Hessen) crashed near Piesenkofen, Germany, killing all 21 on board.^[23]
On 4 September 1946, a Danish Air Lines (DDL) Fw 200A-5 (OY-DEM, Jutlandia) crashed at Northolt Airport after landing in crosswinds; there were no casualties, but the aircraft was written off.^[24]
On 13 December 1946, a Polyarnaya Aviatsiya ('Polar Aviation', a division of Aeroflot) Fw 200C-3 (СССР-N400) force-landed off Ostrov Litne due to engine problems; all 21 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.^[25]
On 8 March 1947, a Cruzeiro do Sul Fw 200A-0 (PP-CBI, Abaitara) was struck by a Panair do Brazil Douglas DC-3 (PP-PCK) that was landing at Santos-Dumont Airport, there were no casualties, but the Fw 200 was written off.^[26]
On 23 April 1950, a Polyarnaya Aviatsiya MK-200 (СССР-N500) overran the runway and crashed at Yakutsk Airport due to crosswinds; all nine on board survived, the aircraft was written off.^[27]

Surviving aircraft

Only one complete reconstructed Fw 200 exists today, an aircraft that ditched in February 1942 and sank to a depth of 60 m (197 ft). This aircraft was raised from Trondheim Fjord in Norway on 26 May 1999.^[28] Although the airframe disintegrated while being lowered onto a recovery platform, the remains were transported to Airbus Bremen and spent 22 years being rebuilt.^[29]^[30] A request from the Berlin museum for a set of separate wings to be recovered from the Kvitanosi mountain near Voss in Norway to complete the rebuilding was at first denied, because the local population wanted the wings to be left in situ as a war memorial. A compromise was reached in 2008, where parts not needed for the restoration would be left on the mountain. In 2009, parts were moved down by helicopter and made ready for transport to Bremen.^[31] Other wrecks were also found, but in extremely poor conditions, one at 68 m deep. The aircraft was finished in June 2021, then dismantled and transported to the former Berlin Tempelhof Airport for final assembly as an exhibit in Hangar 7.^[32]

Specifications (Fw 200 C-3/U4)

Data from Warplanes of the Luftwaffe^[33]

General characteristics

Crew: five
Capacity: 30 fully armed troops in transport configuration
Length: 23.45 m (76 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 32.85 m (107 ft 9 in)
Height: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 119.85 m² (1,290.1 sq ft)
Empty weight: 17,005 kg (37,490 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 22,714 kg (50,076 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Bramo 323R-2 9-cylinder single-row air-cooled radial piston engine^[a], 809 kW (1,085 hp) each
Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: 380 km/h (240 mph, 210 kn) at 4,800 m (15,700 ft)^[34]
Cruise speed: 335 km/h (208 mph, 181 kn) at 4,000 m (13,000 ft) (Max cruise)
Range: 3,560 km (2,210 mi, 1,920 nmi)
Endurance: 14 hours
Service ceiling: 6,000 m (20,000 ft)

Armament

Guns: ** 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in Drehkranz D-30 forward dorsal turret with 1,125 rounds
- 1 × 13 mm (0.51 in) MG 131 machine gun in aft dorsal turret with 1,000 rounds
- 1 × 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151 cannon in forward ventral gondola position with 800 rounds
- 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in rear ventral gondola position with 750 rounds
- 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in flexible mountings firing laterally, one on each side of the fuselage with 1,500 rounds
Bombs: Up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs internally or up to 5,400 kg (11,900 lb) externally on four PVC 1006 underwing racks^[35]

Notes

^ with 'C3' 96 octane fuel injection at take off

References

Notes

^ "Friend or Foe? Two Four - Engined Bombers With Single Tails". Flight. 16 October 1941. p. a (between pages 256 and 257). Archived from the original on 2015-04-12.
^ Wheeler 1992, p. 40
^ ^a ^b Karl-Dieter Seifert "Der Deutsche Luftverkehr 1926 - 1945" Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1996 ISBN 3-7637-6118-7 (in German) p. 303-304
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II" Compiler: David Mondey, Temple Press Aerospace 1984 ISBN 0 600 35027 4 p. 73-74
^ "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 D-2b". 1000aircraftphotos.com.
^ "Joachim von Ribbentrop in Moscow 1939". www.youtube.com.
^ Pimlott 1998, p. 52
^ Stanaway 1998, p. 43
^ Scutts 2008, pp. 220–252
^ "What Happened to Nazi Leaders' Luxury Planes?". youtube.com. Mark Felton. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
^ The Pilot Who Flew 487 Different Aircraft & Landed 2,271 Times On A Carrier! Eric "Winkle" Brown, retrieved 2022-12-29
^ ^a ^b Brown 1993, p. 15
^ Brown 2006, p. 115.
^ Kotelnikov, V. Stalin's Captives article in Fly Past magazine, February 2017 p.105
^ Accident description for D-ASHH at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ [Mason "Battle over Britain". p. 183]
^ "Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
^ "FW200 F8+OK lost 22 October 1940". 12 O'Clock High! Forum. 8 October 2009.
^ "233 Squadron". The Pegasus Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
^ Incident description for D-AMHL at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ Incident description for D-ARHW at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ "Accident Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-4 Condor F8+ES, 11 Oct 1944". 18 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
^ Accident description for D-ASHH at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ Accident description for OY-DEM at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ Accident description for СССР-N400 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ Accident description for PP-CBI at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ Accident description for СССР-N500 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
^ "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 'Condor': Rebuilding the Fw 200 'Condor' is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe." Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung. Retrieved: 29 December 201.
^ "Rebuilding the Fw 200 "Condor" is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe". DLBS.
^ "[Homepage]". Restaurierung Fw 200 Condor (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2020.
^ "The removal." trefall.net. Retrieved: 19 September 2010.
^ "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor" – Die Restaurierung der legendären "Condor" in Bremen".
^ Donald 1994, p. 90
^ Green 1967, p. 79
^ "Focke-Wulf FW 200 C-3/U4". Retrieved 27 March 2018.

Bibliography

Brown, Eric (1993). Wings of the Luftwaffe. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-85310-413-8..
Brown, Eric. Wings On My Sleeve: The World's Greatest Test Pilot tells his Story. London: Orion Books. 2006, ISBN 0-297-84565-9.
Donald, David, ed. (1994). Warplanes of the Luftwaffe. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-874023-56-5..
Green, William (1967). War Planes of the Second World War: Volume 9 Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft. London: Macdonald..
Lawrence, Joseph (1945). The Observer's Book Of Airplanes. London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co.
Munson, Kenneth (1978). German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour. Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press. ISBN 0-7137-0860-3.
Pimlott, Dr. John (1998). The Illustrated History of the German Air Force in WWII. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-0-7603-0516-4..
Poolman, Kenneth. Focke-Wulf Condor: Scourge of the Atlantic. London: MacDonald and Jane's, 1978. ISBN 0354011642.
Scutts, Jerry (2008). The Fw 200 Condor. Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85979-131-1..
Stanaway, John C. (1998). P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO. Aircraft Of The Aces No. 19. New York: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-698-1.
Wheeler, Barry C. (1992). The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings. London: Chancellor Press. ISBN 1-85152-582-3.
Goss, Chris (2016). Fw 200 Condor Units of World War 2. Combat Aircraft No. 115. UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781472812674.

External links

[34] with 'C3' 96 octane fuel injection at take off

[1] "Friend or Foe? Two Four - Engined Bombers With Single Tails". Flight. 16 October 1941. p. a (between pages 256 and 257). Archived from the original on 2015-04-12.

[The_Hamlyn_Guide_to_Military_Aircraft_Markings-2] Wheeler 1992, p. 40

[Seifert-3] Karl-Dieter Seifert "Der Deutsche Luftverkehr 1926 - 1945" Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1996 ISBN 3-7637-6118-7 (in German) p. 303-304

[Mondey-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II" Compiler: David Mondey, Temple Press Aerospace 1984 ISBN 0 600 35027 4 p. 73-74

[5] "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 D-2b". 1000aircraftphotos.com.

[6] "Joachim von Ribbentrop in Moscow 1939". www.youtube.com.

[7] Pimlott 1998, p. 52

[8] Stanaway 1998, p. 43

[9] Scutts 2008, pp. 220–252

[10] "What Happened to Nazi Leaders' Luxury Planes?". youtube.com. Mark Felton. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

[11] The Pilot Who Flew 487 Different Aircraft & Landed 2,271 Times On A Carrier! Eric "Winkle" Brown, retrieved 2022-12-29

[Wings15-12] Brown 1993, p. 15

[Wings_on_my_Sleeve,_p115-13] Brown 2006, p. 115.

[14] Kotelnikov, V. Stalin's Captives article in Fly Past magazine, February 2017 p.105

[15] Accident description for D-ASHH at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[16] [Mason "Battle over Britain". p. 183]

[KH40-17] "Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 28 November 2011.

[18] "FW200 F8+OK lost 22 October 1940". 12 O'Clock High! Forum. 8 October 2009.

[batt_233-19] "233 Squadron". The Pegasus Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-01.

[20] Incident description for D-AMHL at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[21] Incident description for D-ARHW at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[22] "Accident Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-4 Condor F8+ES, 11 Oct 1944". 18 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.

[23] Accident description for D-ASHH at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[24] Accident description for OY-DEM at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[25] Accident description for СССР-N400 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[26] Accident description for PP-CBI at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[27] Accident description for СССР-N500 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.

[28] "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 'Condor': Rebuilding the Fw 200 'Condor' is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe." Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung. Retrieved: 29 December 201.

[29] "Rebuilding the Fw 200 "Condor" is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe". DLBS.

[30] "[Homepage]". Restaurierung Fw 200 Condor (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2020.

[31] "The removal." trefall.net. Retrieved: 19 September 2010.

[32] "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor" – Die Restaurierung der legendären "Condor" in Bremen".

[Donald_Luft_p90-33] Donald 1994, p. 90

[Green_v9_p79-35] Green 1967, p. 79

[deutsch-36] "Focke-Wulf FW 200 C-3/U4". Retrieved 27 March 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[a]

[34]

[35]

v t e Focke-Wulf aircraft
Company designations, pre-1933	A 3 A 4 A 5 A 6 A 7 A 16 A 17 GL 18 F 19 A 20 A 21 GL 22 K 23 S 24 A 26 A 28 A 29 A 32 A 33 A 36 A 38 S 39 A 43 A 47 S 48 S 1 S 2 W 4 W 7 C.20 (Cierva under licence) C.30 (Cierva under licence)
Names	Buchfink Bussard Condor Ente Falke Falke (2) Habicht Höhengeier Kiebitz Mastgans Moskito Möwe Möwe (2) Photomöwe Sperber Stieglitz Stösser Weihe Würger Uhu
RLM designations, 1933–1945	Fw 40 Fw 42 Fw 43 Fw 44 Fw 47 Fw 55 Fw 56 Fw 57 Fw 58 Fw 61 Fw 62 Ta 152 Ta 154 Fw 159 Ta 183 Fw 186 Fw 187 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Fw 200 Fw 206 Ta 254 Fw 300 Ta 400
Company designations, post-1945	Fw 260 Fw 300
Projects	Entwurf I Entwurf II Entwurf III Entwurf IV Entwurf V Entwurf VI Entwurf VII "Peterle" Entwurf VIII 1000x1000x1000 Nr. 238 Fernkampfflugzeug Grosstransporter Nr. 261 Fernkampfflugzeug Rochen Strahlrohrjäger Super Lorin Super TL Triebflügel Volksjäger

v t e Aircraft designed by Kurt Tank
Early years	Rohrbach Ro VIII
For Focke-Wulf	Fw 44 Fw 56 Ta 152 Ta 154 Ta 183 Fw 187 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 200 Ta 254 Ta 283 Ta 400 Project I Project II Project III Project IV Project V Project VI Project VII Project VIII
Post-Second World War	FMA I.Ae. 33 Pulqui II FMA I.Ae. 35 Huanquero FMA I.Ae. 36 Cóndor HAL HF-24 Marut

v t e Reich Air Ministry (RLM) aircraft designations (list)
1 to 100	8-1¹ Fi 2 8-3¹ 8-4¹ Fi 5 DFS 6 8-7¹ Gö 8 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11/Wn 11 8-12⁴/Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Do 16/Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 8-21¹ Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Do 25³/Kl 25 Do 26/Kl 26 8-27/Do 27³/Kl 27⁵ 8-28¹ 8-29/Do 29 Fw 30 Kl 31 Kl 32 Ju 33 Ju 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 He 37³ He 38/Ju 38 DFS 39 BV 40/DFS 40 He 41³ Fw 42/He 42 Fw 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46/Ju 46 Fw 47/He 47 Ju 48 He 49/Ju 49 He 50/Ju 50 He 51 He 52/Ju 52 Ju 53 DFS 54/NR 54 Fw 55/NR 55 Fw 56 8-57⁴/Fw 57 Fw 58/He 58 He 59 He 60/Ju 60 Fa 61/Fw 61/He 61 Fw 62/He 62 8-63⁴/He 63 Ar 64/He 64 Ar 65/He 65 Ar 66/He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 8-71⁴/He 71 He 72 He 73³ He 74 Al 75 Ar 76/FZG 76⁶ Ar 77 Ar 78³ Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 8-82⁴ 8-83¹ Al 84 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ju 91³ Ju 92 Ju 93³ Ju 94³ Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 Fi 100³/He 100
101 to 200	Al 101 Al 102 Al 103/Fi 103 R Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109/Bf 109R⁶ Bf 110 He 111/He 111U⁶ He 112 He 113⁶ He 114 He 115 He 116 He 117³/Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Bü 132³/Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136/Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147/Ju 147 Go 148³ Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Kl 152/Ta 152 Kl 153³/Ta 153 Kl 154³/Ta 154 BV 155/Kl 155³/Me 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 Bf 162/He 162 Bf 163/Li 163/Me 163 Me 164/MeC 164 Bf 165 Fi 166/FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 Fi 169³ He 170 He 171³ He 172 He 173³ He 174³ 8-175⁴ He 176 He 177 He 178 He 179⁵ Bü 180/He 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Bü 183³/Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186/Ju 186 Fw 187/Ju 187² Fw 188³/Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 Ao 193³/DFS 193 DFS 194/Me 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199 Do 200^4,6/Fw 200
201 to 300	Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 8-205¹ Fw 206 8-207¹ Me 208 Me 209 (I)/Me 209 (II) Me 210 Hü 211 8-212⁴/Do 212 8-213¹ Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217/Hs 217 Do 218³ He 219 He 220 Do 221³ BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225/Fa 225 BV 226/Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Go 229/Ho 229 8-230/DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235⁵ Fa 236³ BV 237 BV 238 8-239¹ Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Me 243³ Go 244 Go 245³ BV 246 8-247¹ Ju 248 BV 250/Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253/Ho 253 Ho 254/Ta 254 8-255¹ Fi 256 SK 257 8-258¹ Fw 259 8-260¹ Me 261/Me 261w Me 262 Me 263 (1941)/Me 263 (1942)/Me 263 (1945) Me 264 Fl 265/Me 265 Fa 266/Go 266³ Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 He 272³ He 273³ He 274 He 275⁵ He 276³ He 277 He 278 He 279³ He 280 He 281³ Fl 282 Fa 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Do 288^4,6/Ju 288 Ju 289³ Ju 290 Hs 291 As 292/Hs 292³ Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296/Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Ju 299³ Fw 300
301 to 349	DFS 301 8-302¹ 8-303¹ 8-304¹ 8-305¹ 8-306¹ 8-307¹ 8-308¹ Me 309 Zwilling Me 310 8-311¹ 8-312¹ 8-313⁴ 8-314¹ Hs 315 8-316¹ Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 320³ Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323/ZMe 323 8-324¹ Fa 325/Fw 325³ 8-326¹ Me 327 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Ar 334³/Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Ju 337³ 8-338¹ Fl 339 Ar 340 8-341 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344/So 344⁵ Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 8-348¹ Ba 349
Post-349 (non-sequential)	Ju 352 Fi 356/Ju 356 Me 362 Me 364² Me 368³ Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 393³ Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430/Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 8-445⁴ DFS 446 Ju 452 Me 462² DFS 468 Ju 488 Fw 491 He 500 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 8-520⁴ ZSO 523 Ar 532 8-534⁴ Do 535/He 535 Me 600² Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635/He 635/Ju 635
¹ Not assigned ² Unofficial/proposed ³ Assigned, but not used before RLM was dissolved ⁴ Assigned to captured aircraft ⁵ Unconfirmed ⁶ Propaganda/cover designation Note: Official RLM designations had the prefix "8-", but this was usually dropped and replaced with the manufacturer's prefix.

Design and development

Operational history

Hitler's personal transport

Allied tactics used against the Condor

Variants

Operators

Civil operators

Military operators

Accidents and incidents

Surviving aircraft

Specifications (Fw 200 C-3/U4)

See also

Notes

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links